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There used to be something unacceptable — although the Ohio Supreme Court can’t quite put its
finger on what — about lawyers eating and learning at the same time.

A state rule says lawyers can’t earn credit in the state’s Continuing Legal Education program if
there is food present — but that rule will soon go away. Lawyers practicing in Ohio must complete
24 hours of CLE activities such as ethics classes every two years.

The Ohio Supreme Court recently adopted a set of new regulations that aim to make the process of
learning on the job easier, based on feedback from lawyers who have participated in the court’s CLE
program.

A survey that was meant to be the starting point for streamlining the program was sent in the
fall of 2011 to every registered lawyer in the state subject to CLE — about 40,000. Roughly 10,000
responded.

Although they couldn’t eat food and participate in the state’s program at the same time, 66
percent of survey participants said they were satisfied with the CLE program.

The no-eating rule has been a part of the program since its start in 1988, said Chris Davey,
spokesman for the court. Davey said it was unclear why the rule was adopted.

After the 2011 survey, the court drafted proposed rule changes for the CLE program — including
the new food-consumption rule — and sent it to lawyers for feedback. Some lawyers welcomed the
change, and Davey said he hasn’t heard of opposition.

“It works perfectly to grab a bite and one CLE hour at the same time for busy attorneys, or even
right after work,” said lawyer Richard Gangwish of Erlanger, Ky., a suburb of Cincinnati, in a
comment made available by the court to
The Dispatch.

Lawyers can begin talking and learning with food in their mouths starting on Jan. 1, 2014.

Joshua Jamerson is a fellow in Ohio University’s E.W. Scripps School of Journalism Statehouse
News Bureau.